Sweet, sweet summertime

What more is there to say when the sun is shining and the days get longer, giving us more time to enjoy it? A little less talk and a lot more action, we say! Let’s go enjoy it while we can. Depending on where you live, school may be out for a few months, or perhaps you’re counting down the days.

Whatever the case, if you're a traditional educator, it’s been our pleasure to spend time with you throughout the year and we hope you’ll check in when you return to work. Tell us what your students are learning and how you use Realityworks products to give them real world experiences. But for now, rest and recharge yourself (and your Babies) and we’ll see you in the fall.

And for those of you who don't get the educators' well-deserved summer break, we hope you can still take a few days off! We’ll continue to be in your mailbox each month and just a phone call away if you need us.

Check out these FREE trials!
Will you have some downtime over the summer? It’s a perfect time to take a moment to try our newest simulation products!

• Business Education Simulations – great online games for teaching business, sales and marketing, finance and entrepreneurship. Get a FREE trial at www.businessedsims.com.
  
  
• TimeMAPS Money Management and Life Skills Program for teaching financial literacy to teens. Get a FREE trial at www.teachingpersonalfinance.com.

Follow us, friend us and find other fabulous folks!

Realityworks is now on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you find yourself having to justify your Baby program, social networking could be the key to finding other educators using Baby in innovative ways. The more true stories we can share about the life-changing, teachable moments people experience with our products, the more support these programs will get from administration, parents and the community at large.

Every day we are sharing ideas and stories we find in the news or in our mailbox that could help you explain to others why your work is so important. Join the discussion, get support and encouragement and give others some valuable ideas, too.

Big Bucks, No Whammies!
Buy 5 Babies, get $500 for your Baby program

BIG news
When is the last time someone handed you FREE money? If you had to think for even one second, it has been too long. Buy now and save BIG BUCKS!

How BIG?
Now for a limited time we’re giving away $500 in Baby Bucks with every purchase of 5 Babies. This is no funny money, either. It’s real cash you can put toward additional real products at the time of your Baby order. Baby Bucks is money you can use immediately with a qualifying purchase.

Save BIG time!
Do you need warranties and/or supplies for those new Babies? Pay for them with your FREE Baby Bucks! Need more than 5 Babies? Apply your Baby Bucks and get more! You can even put Baby Bucks toward other Realityworks products, such as Shaken Baby Syndrome Simulators, Pregnancy Simulation vests, Drug-Affected Demonstrators and more!

Dynamic, on-site training for your entire staff by a Realityworks trainer is another great way to use Baby Bucks. You'll learn best practices, get hands-on training with RealCare Baby II-plus and Control Center software, and tips and tricks for making your Baby program the best it can be.

BIG deals!
Remember – for EVERY 5 Babies purchased, you earn $500 to put towards other products on the same order!

- Purchase a 5-Baby Package and earn $500 in Baby Bucks
- Purchase a 10-Baby Package and earn $1,000 in Baby Bucks
- Purchase a 15-Baby Package and earn $1,500 in Baby Bucks
- Purchase a 20-Baby Package and earn $2,000 in Baby Bucks

Talk to your Product Consultant to learn more about the Baby Bucks program and how BIG your savings can be. But hurry, this BIG promotion won’t last long! Purchases must be made by July 30th, 2010!

Funding, Realityworks and You

At Realityworks, we’ve always been very aware of the challenges our customers face in justifying programs and finding funding to purchase our hands-on, interactive learning products. And we’re here to help with information about funding opportunities! Every month you’ll find helpful funding ideas, grants and other valuable information that can help you secure money to keep your program going.

Many of our customers are becoming more innovative in their search for financial support, looking to sources they wouldn’t ordinarily think of. Be sure to check the funding corner in each issue of the Realityworks Star and consider following us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to find other like-minded educators who may have ideas you can use, too.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Local businesses
Businesses usually have funds set aside for donations and many service providers, such as insurance companies and banks, offer their employees incentives for community service or matching funds. They may even allow you to place donation receptacles in their establishments. (Remember that in addition to Babies, you have basic needs such as blankets/clothing.)

Community and civic groups
Many community organizations set aside funds to help worthy causes. Some examples include Kiwanis, Lions Club, V.F.W., Knights of Columbus, Rotary, Jaycees, Optimists, Soroptimists, Exchange Clubs, Medical Alliance Chapters, American Legion Auxiliaries, March of Dimes, YMCA/YWCA, Eagles, Elks, Moose, Altrusa, and Pilot Clubs.

Parents/guardians
If you are raising funds for a school project, parental support is an essential component. Parents/guardians are also a great source of creative ideas. They may organize a spare change drive or earn donations from grocery stores by saving receipts.

School organizations
Student Council, PTA, FHA, and Key Club (Kiwanis Youth Group) can help raise funds. Student car washes, bake sales, candy bar sales, and other fundraisers are sources that involve the members of the population the program is designed to benefit.

Health agencies
Planned Parenthood, hospitals and university extensions sometimes purchase infant simulators to loan to various community organizations and schools.

Additional funding resources to keep you up-to-date
• School Grants www.schoolgrants.org

Lists grant opportunities available to public and private non-profit elementary and secondary schools and districts across the United States, as well as grant-writing tips, fundraising opportunities, sample proposals, and more.

• eSchool news www.eschoolnews.com/erc/funding

Lists ongoing grant awards and opportunities, expert insights on grant seeking, and offers “Grants & Funding ALERT” or “Education Grants Alert” newsletters.

New simulators create life-changing teachable moments in New York City

Barbara Kirkweg, principal and part-time health teacher at Bronx Aerospace High School in New York City, is a passionate believer in the Infant Health Trio after just three short months. Kirkweg’s school is using Shaken Baby Syndrome Simulator, Drug-Affected Demonstrator and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Manikin in 9th grade sex education and health classes. She wasn’t aware the products existed until her students told her about them. She says she has seen many eye-opening moments in her classroom already.

 “It was a solemn day when the students took the pledge not to shake a baby. They really took that seriously,” said Kirkweg. “Without these products the great discussions we’re having would never occur at the 9th grade level. I really am convinced that the experience will have an effect on how they will behave, whether it’s with their children in the future or in caring for their siblings or family members as many of them do.”

Kirkweg says her students are visibly moved by the demonstrations, so much so that one student had to leave the room when the Drug-Affected Demonstrator was trembling and crying. She can’t say whether that student had an experience with drug use himself or in his family but it added even more credibility to the lesson for the class.

“There’s not a lot of information about risky behaviors for these students that they can relate to. They don’t consider the consequences of drinking or using alcohol during pregnancy because they may not even be at that point yet,” she said.

Parents are supportive of the high-impact teaching tools. Kirkweg demonstrated the Infant Health Trio for the parent association and they were excited about it. She plans to expand the program in the fall semester to make it accessible to more students.

“It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done as an educator,” said Kirkweg.

Realityworks may be coming to your area

Mark your calendars - our conference dates are below!

• Utah Family and Consumer Sciences
  Provo, UT
  June 16-17

• Utah Business Education Association
  Saratoga Springs, UT
  June 16-17

• Texas Juvenile Probation Special Programs Conference
  San Antonio, TX
  June 20-23

• South Carolina CTE Education and Business Summit
  Greenville, SC
  June 27-28

• Career Education Conference
  Dallas, TX
  July 12-15

• Arizona Career and Technical Education
  Tucson, AZ
  July 17-20

• Georgia Career and Technical Education
  Atlanta, GA
  July 18-19

• Arkansas Family and Consumer Sciences
  Location to be determined
  July 19-20

• North Carolina Career and Technical Education
  Greensboro, NC
  July 19-23

• Tennessee Career and Technical Education
  Murfreesboro, TN
  July 19-23

• Missouri Career and Technical Education
  Springfield, MO
  July 26-29